No one likes textbooks. Except for publishers. Publishers design big, colorful—and therefore expensive—textbooks. Then schools purchase one for every student. Or at the college level, professors require every student to purchase his or her own textbook.
Publishers make good money on textbooks. However, people do not learn well from textbooks. Few students enjoy reading textbooks, and most end up skimming them instead of reading them.
A much better way of learning is for teachers to lecture and then supplement their lessons with reading assignments (primary sources, articles, interesting books).
This is also true for homeschooling. It is best for students to watch video lessons on a subject, which are then supplemented with helpful readings. There are exceptions to this, as there are some good textbooks and some students who like reading them. But for the most part, textbooks are not a good way to learn.
The Good Curriculum is a flexible and comprehensive approach to education at minimal cost to parents. NT$3,600 per year will get you access for the whole family, with an additional charge of NT$1,200 per course. There are no textbooks to buy — even in math and science courses, except a few copyrighted books in the higher grades. [Enroll Now]
Next week, we will talk about “Online Videos and the Future of Education.”
Tom Watson